Thinking of baking bread? It's not as complicated as you may fear. Here are some tried and tested tips to getting that perfect golden loaf. 1. Place a small dish of water in the oven when you bake bread. This prevents the crust from becoming a dark, ugly brown or getting too … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2008
Food Network’s subliminal ads?
Urban legend or a really good reason to blame the TV for your potato chip cravings? There's a video circulating that claims to prove that Food Network uses subliminal advertising. What do you think? … [Read more...]
5,000 cooking tips
Get 5,000 tips and shortcuts with Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks The tips are organized alphabetically, from "Acidity" to "Zucchini" with every entry broken into "Basics," with "Problem Solvers," "Time Savers," "Flavor Tips" and "Healthy Hints." There are also some … [Read more...]
How to make homemade pizza — fast!
Make your own homemade pizza doughwith a few common ingredients. It doesn't take that long with instant yeast, so you can (as the host of the video says) wake up with a pizza craving in the morning, and have the dish ready by lunch. What we like about this instructional video is … [Read more...]
Homemade low carb chocolate bar
On a diet and missing chocolate? Enjoy a homemade chocolate bar that's low on carbs and a lot less expensive than the specialty bars sold online or in gourmet stores. Each bar has 110 calories, 7 grams of fat, and just 3 grams of carbohydrates. It's made of a little bit of … [Read more...]
Make your own dogfood
Make your own dogfood with an excellent instructional video that includes tips on the nutritional needs of your canine and natural food sources. You may be surprised to find that your dog needs fruit, and will happily devour mangoes, apples, and carrots. The expert also suggests … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Puck’s Special Yukon Potatoes
Wolfgang Puck demonstrates the secret to perfect Yukon Gold Potatoes. The secret ingredient is a sprinkling of Iranian osetra caviar and his special recipe for Crème Fraîche. Just mix buttermilk and heavy cream, and leave overnight at room temperature. Oh so simple, but … [Read more...]
Instant menus for the week
Bored with casseroles and fried chicken? Tired of thinking about what to serve your family? While there are thousands of recipe sites available on the web, we love Yahoo's Weekly Menu Guide. Not only does it provide links to some of the best recipes on the web, but it actually … [Read more...]
Biggest beef recall in history
Now would be a good time to switch to salads. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday has just ordered the country's biggest beef recall in history -- 143 million pounds -- all from a California slaughterhouse. And worst of all, this slaughterhouse is one of the … [Read more...]
Idiot’s Guide to a Romantic Dinner
 So you're a guy who can't cook (or you're married to one). But listen up: women need a break from the kitchen, too. So here's a simple, idiot-proof video to a coconut dinner, from choosing the ingredients to cooking each and every dish. … [Read more...]
Cooking, CG style
if you love cooking, and the movie Ratatouille, you'll love this interview. Disney's experts talk about how they brought food to the big screen -- the hours they spent just watching how sauces bubble on the stove, and how to translate something like smell into a visual cue. … [Read more...]
Aphrodite’s Love Potion
You know that after-date pick up line: "Want to have a drink at my place?" We certainly hope that you don't mean a diet coke. Here is a simple recipe: 4 ice cubes 1 1/2 ounces fine brandy 5 ounces pineapple juice 1 maraschino cherry 1 thin orange slice Combine the … [Read more...]
Surprising Aphrodisiacs
You probably know that chocolate and oysters are aphrodisiacs (though we wouldn't recommend serving them in the same dish). Here are some other ingredients believed to have certain "romantic powers." Carrots. Used by Middle Eastern Royalty. Probably only because of its, uhm, … [Read more...]
Trip to the Orient
Oriental cuisine puts a lot of emphasis on presentation. In the East, meals are spiritual acts: as you take in the nourishment from Nature, you become one with it. That harmony must be reflected in the way the food is served. Luckily food aesthetics is pretty easy to achieve . … [Read more...]
Celebrity chefs
If you're a serious foodie, you probably spend a good deal of time scouring through recipe books. But here's a tip: watch the television chefs. Yes, they have good recipes. But most importantly, seeing them cook revels a lot of good tips, from how to check the temperature of a … [Read more...]
Take your Ice Cream Quotient
If you were an ice cream flavor, what would you be? A wild pistachio? Or a down-to-earth cookies and cream? Find out with this personality quiz. … [Read more...]
Valentine’s School Party
Many schools throw Valentine's parties -- and who bakes the cookies? Mom, of course! Here is a simple recipe for iced cookies. Use your cookie cutter to make any shape you want... but include a few hearts to commemorate the day! Your child can also write his friends' names in … [Read more...]
Black and White Chocolate Fondue
A romantic dessert with many (nudge, nudge) possibilities. Ingredients 1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream 10 oz (280 g). semisweet chocolate, chopped 2 tbsp (30 mL) Grand Marnier, Kahlua or other liqueur 2 oz (56 g). white chocolate, chopped things to dip: fresh … [Read more...]
Fish Tacos
Here's a sneaky way to get your kids to eat fish! Serve with salsa or guacamole. Yum! Ingredients 1 quart vegetable oil 12 corn tortillas 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons salt 1 cup beer (not dark) 1 pound cod fillet, cut into 3- by 1-inch strips Shredded … [Read more...]
World’s Biggest Chocolate Heart
The Guiness Record for the biggest chocolate heart: this 7-metric-ton chocolate heart that was unveiled in Madrid on Valentine's Day. It was designed by artist Lluis Morera, produced by Spain's largest chocolate manufacturer (Chocovic) and commissioned by Match.com, an online … [Read more...]